Tornadoes

They don't. Washington and Oregon are among the ten states that get the least tornadoes. This is because the cold water of the Pacific Ocean stabilizes the atmosphere, making it difficult for the storms that produce tornadoes to form.

No. There wasn't even a warning. The tornado was detected, but due to communication problems the warning was never issued.

Additionally, when a tornado is coming the advice is usually to take cover rather than evacuate, as there usually isn't enough time for an evacuation.

Fort the most part that is limited to tornadoes in the northern hemisphere. Nearly all southern hemisphere tornadoes rotate clockwise.

Tornadoes are formed from thunderstorms called supercells, and get their counterclockwise rotation from the rotation in those storms. The storms get their rotation from wind shear, or differences in wind speed and direction with altitude. In the northern hemisphere the wind shear is usually counterclockwise with increasing altitude. For example the wind at ground level may be out of the west while higher up it is out of the south, so it shifts in a counterclockwise manner. This can impart a counterclockwise spin on the updraft, or rising air current of a thunderstorm.

Non-examples of a tornado:

- hurricane

- dust devil

- wind storm

- blizzard

It varies from year to year, but on average Indiana gets 24 tornadoes annually.

A thunderstorm has to be pretty strong in most cases, though strength alone isn't enough. A thunderstorm needs to have rotation to produce a tornado, though the strongest thunderstorms, called supercells, rotate anyway. A tornado warning is usually issued if doppler radar detects a difference between inbound and outbound winds of 100 mph or greater, though a warning may be issued in lseer conditions.

Tornadoes are most prevalent during the spring and early summer months in the United States, typically from March to June. The peak season varies depending on the region, with Tornado Alley experiencing the highest frequency in late spring. Conditions that favor tornado formation include warm, moist air colliding with cold, dry air, usually in the presence of a strong jet stream.

You can study tornadoes at home by researching online resources, reading books or scientific articles about tornadoes, and watching documentaries. You can also follow meteorologists on social media for updates and monitoring severe weather patterns. Additionally, you can participate in citizen science projects that involve reporting weather observations.

In most cases the "fuel" for thunderstorms, including the ones that produce tornadoes is warm moist air.

Such air is more common in spring than winter. The cold air more common in winter usually does not have enough energy to produce severe thunderstorms.

Tornado do happen near and on the coast. It just so happens that the areas that get strong tornadoes (the tornadoes that get all the attention) happen to be inland. The strong thunderstorms that produce most tornadoes form most easily when warm, moist air collides with cool and/or dry air along with a few other conditions. These meet most ideally in inland areas but tornado outbreak along coasts have also ocurred.

Seek shelter. If you can get yourself underground, that's the best place to be. Although many people assume overpasses provide a safe haven this is far from the truth; they are by far the worst place to be as a large tornado will easily suck you out. See related links for video of the infamous 1991 tornado in which a group survived a small tornado under an overpass, and a link to tornado myths.

Fast-moving clouds can indicate turbulent atmospheric conditions, which may be associated with thunderstorms and potential tornado formation. However, it is not a definitive sign of a tornado on its own. Other factors, such as low-hanging or rotating clouds and severe weather warnings, are important to consider in determining tornado risk.

Hurricanes and tornadoes are different weather phenomena.

A hurricane is a tropical storm, developed over warm seas and form into large wind patterns of 100 miles or more across. It is the warm water that sustains a hurricane so it will lose energy and die out as it travels inland.

A tornado develops over land and is a funnel of spiraling air, rarely more than a few hundred feet across where it touches the ground. As well as being much more localized, they do not rely on large bodies of water to form.

Tornadoes can occur in Maryland, but they are relatively rare compared to other states in the tornado alley region. Maryland experiences an average of around 10 tornadoes per year, with the peak tornado season typically occurring in late spring and early summer. It's important for residents to stay informed about weather alerts and have a plan in place in case a tornado does occur.

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. It is primarily composed of air in the gaseous state, but it can also carry dust, debris, and water in various states of matter as it moves along its path.

No. A typical hurricane lasts several days, and some last for weeks. A typical tornado only lasts a few minutes, and some last only a few seconds. On very rare occasions a tornado may last a few hours.

F5 and EF5 are essentially the same thing. They are equivalent levels on two different, albeit similar scales of tornado intensity. Both the Fujita (F) scale and the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale used damage to estimate wind speed, but the EF scale has better wind estimates for its damage levels.

F5 is the highest category on the Fujita scale with the main damage criterion being well built houses wiped clean off their foundations. The wind speed estimate for this degree of damage was 261-318 mph. However, when the Fujita scale was created in 1971 nobody had ever measured the winds of a tornado so we had no way of knowing how accurate these estimates were.

Similar to F5, EF5 is the highest level on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The damage criteria are essentially the same (e.g. ell built houses blown away), though there is more detail and the construction standars needed are somewhat higher. However the wind speed estimate has been lowered to 201+ mph. The lower wind estimate leads some people to think that an EF5 isn't as strong as an F5, but this is not true. It turns out that on the original scale the wind estimates for F3 damage and higher, were too high. So instead of taking a 261 mph wind to completely blow away a house, as was thought until the 21st century, it only takes a wind of about 200 mph.

Because of the higher construction standards it is somewhat harder for a tornado to attain an EF5 rating than an F5 rating. One researcher has examined several EF4 tornadoes in recent years and concluded that they would likely have been rated F5 had they occurred when the original Fujita scale was still in effect.

It is difficult to determine especially since a single tornado will oftern vary in size. A likely candidate is the Sherman, Texas tornado of May 15, 1896. This tornado was farily large among much of its path, averaging just under 1/4 mile wide. The actual F5 damage was in the town of Sherman near the end of the path, where the tornado had narrowed to only 60 yards wide. About 50 homes were destroyed of which 20 were completely obliterated.

Another candidate is the Elie, Manitoba tornado of June 22, 2007. This tornado was somewhat similar to the one that hit Sherman in that the F5 damage ocurred when the tornado narrowed near the end of its lifespan. The tornado reached a maximum width of 330 yards, causing mostly F1 and F2 damage. Near the end of its meandering path it narrowed to less than 100 yards wide and became extremely intense, destoying several homes on the edge of Elie. A well-anchored brick house was ripped from its foundation and thrown.

There is no way to say for certain until it is said and done. However it is possible, one tornado has already been reported in Mississippi but not confirmed.

Yes, tornadoes can form in Corning, NY, though they are relatively rare in this region compared to areas like the central United States. The town's proximity to the Great Lakes and the Appalachian Mountains can influence the conditions necessary for tornado formation. It is essential to have a plan in place and be aware of tornado warnings and alerts.

The rotation of a tornado originates from a larger but less intense circulation called a mesocyclone, which creates an area of low pressure. A tornado forms when the mesocyclone tightens and stretches toward the ground. This causes the winds and the low pressure to intensify.

Tornado season has no defined beginning or end, but it generally lasts from spring to the beginning of summer, though it varies from year to year. In the U.S., which experiences the most tornadoes, this generally runs from March to June, peaking in May. Generally the highest activity shifts northward as the year progresses until summer. Southern states such as Alabama and Mississippi often peak in March and April while Oklahoma and Kansas usually peak in May. Northern states such as Minnesota and the Dakotas usually peak in June.

One note though is tornadoes are not limited to tornado season; they can happen at any time of year. Tornado season is simply a time when tornado activity is higher.

Tornadoes can occur in Wyoming, but they are most commonly found in the eastern part of the state, particularly in regions like Laramie, Cheyenne, and Casper. These areas are more prone to experiencing tornadoes due to the typical weather patterns and atmospheric conditions that favor tornado development.